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Breakthrough robotics and AI projects awarded funding

£68 million will be awarded from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) to the latest research and innovation projects in robotics and artificial intelligence systems.

The awards announced are part of the government's £93 million of funding for the robotics and AI in extreme environments programme through the ISCF, which was announced in the Budget of April 2017.

The programme aims to develop robotic solutions to make a safer working environment in industries such as off-shore energy, nuclear energy, space and deep mining, increase productivity and open up new cross disciplinary opportunities, not currently available.

The winning projects include:

• £44.5 million investment, over three and half years, for four research Hubs managed by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The Hubs will develop robotic solutions to enable safer working environments in the areas of off-shore energy, nuclear energy and space, opening up new cross disciplinary opportunities which are not currently available. They will be national Hubs delivering internationally-leading research and will be supported by an additional £51.6 million from commercial and international partners. The UK Space Agency is co-funding one of the Hubs.• Funding of £16.5 million following a collaborative R&D competition run by Innovate UK - winners include over 70 businesses, 13 universities and 10 research organisations.• Funding of £3 million for 17 demonstrator feasibility studies following a separate competition run by Innovate UK.• £4.3 million for the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to fund five research projects at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), and the universities of Exeter and Southampton to develop sensors capable of working in the ocean's extreme conditions. The sensors will be compatible with existing marine robotic vehicles or those in development at NOC, such as the Autosub Long Range (ALR), 'Boaty McBoatface'.

Professor Philip Nelson, EPSRC Chief Executive, said: “These new Robotics Hubs will draw on the country's research talent to nurture new developments in the field of robotics and provide the foundations on which innovative technologies can be built. The resulting outcomes from this research will allow us to explore environments that are too dangerous for humans to enter without risking injury or ill-health. The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund is helping us achieve a joined up approach to research, discovery and innovation.”

Ruth McKernan, Chief Executive of Innovate UK, said: “These pioneering projects driven by the very best minds in UK research and industry exemplify the huge potential of what can be achieved through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and the long-term benefits for the UK economy. These are just the first competitions in robotics and AI, there will be further opportunities for businesses in the coming months.”

NERC's Chief Executive, Professor Duncan Wingham said: “These sensors will help us to better understand our oceans, helping us to manage them sustainably for the future. The projects will develop ambitious new technologies that work in hazardous and extreme environments, maintaining the UK's world-class status in marine robotics. Other industries, such as the water, aquaculture and industrial waste, are also likely to benefit from these technologies.”

The ISCF is a strategic element of the Government's Industrial Strategy that aims to ensure the UK continues to be one of the best places in the world for science and innovation.Innovate UK and the Research Councils are taking a leading role in delivering this funding, operating across the country, to ensure the UK secures maximum benefit from science and innovation.